Mail box



sept 4, 1'928.

' J. H. WARD, JR

MAIL BOX Filed April l, 192e 2 Sheets-Sheet jme/275?.-

Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,217

J. H. WARD, JR

MAIL Box Fied April 21, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED srArEs PATENT oFFicE.

JAMES'H. VIARD, JR., OF BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 JAMES H. WARD &SON l INC., 0F BUCHANAN, MICHGAN, A CORPORATON 0F INDIANA.

Meir. B0X.`

Application filed April 21, 1926. YSerial No. 103,445

The presentinvention relates to mail boxes.

More particularly the present invention relates to receptacles suitable for use in apartment buildings or in othery places where it is desirable to have a battery of receptacles which may be opened simultaneously by a person having the proper key and which permits the selective opening of each of said receptacles by a person having the key to that particular receptacle without permitting access to the others of said receptacles.

An object of the presenty invention is to provide a mail box of sturdy construction which will comply with the requirement-s of the United States Post-office Department, and which will involve a minimum' of space for that purpose. l

A further object is to provide a mail box from which the cover may be yreadily removed to simplify'the matter of assembly of the box within the wall or other supporting member upon which it is mounted, which mail boi; will eectually resist any attempts at tampering.

A further object is to provide a mail box which will simplify the `iob of the post-man in depositing` mail and which permits the convenient removal of said mail by persons having` access to the individual mail boxes.

A further vobj ect is to provide a mail boi: having a removable hinged cover portion which cooperates in novel manner with the remainder of the mail boX to provide a structure well adapted to meet the needs of Coin'- mercial service. Y

Further objects will appear as they description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation, parts being broken away, illustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows-2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 3 3 of Figure l; and

Figure i is a sectional View taken along the plane indicatedby the arrows l--li of Figure 3.

The numeral l indicates a casing which may be'made up of sheet metal. According to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, said casing 1 comprises the sheet metal member 2, which is bent-in U-shape to form the back member and the top and bottom members vof saidV casing 1. The two side walls of said casing 1 are sheet vmetal members, one of which is indicated in Fig.- ure Q by the numeral 3. The members 2 and may bejoined and riveted together to provide a casing open on `one side. Boundmg the casing 1 onits open side is the face plate s, which may be of brass or other material having a presentable appearance. Said face plate 4 may be Vrivetedor otherwise secured to the casing 1, preferably having a flange extending into said casing. As will be referred to'hereinafter, the rivets for securing the lower portion of the yface plate A to the bottom' wall of the casing 1 will preferably have the added function of providing. hinge pins for removably swingin'gly mounting a closure member. The casing 1 is divided into a plurality of compartments, indicated by the numerals 5-5, the dividing wallsy between said compartments being preferably sheet metal members 6 6 ar-i ranged in parallel relationship with the side walls 3--3 of the casing 1. Said sheet metal members 6-6 may be joined to the casing 1 kin anyV preferred manner, being preferably vin Figure 3, the pivot pins 7 serve the double function of securing the face plate' et to the bottom wall of the casing 1 and forming Vhinge members for .the closure member 8. A iiuinberof said pivot pins 7 may be provided along the width of the mail box. The closure member 8 comprises a substantially flat wall 'having inwardly turned flanges 9 9 along its four sides, the lower flange 9 being provided` with aperturesy adapted vto loosely receive the upstanding pins 7. The closure member 8 will fit within the outline-defined by the innermost portions of the face plate 4, so that said closure member 8 cannot be removed when said.` closure member' 8 is init-sclosed position, in which position. the outer face of the closure .member 8 is substantially flush with the outer face of the face plate lg When lsaid closure member 8 is swung outwardly, however, so that the upper extremity thereof Vis free of the adj acent'portion of the face plate 4, said closure member 8 may be readily Y substantial alignment.

tion walls 6-6 is provided with an arcuate liftedfrom 4the pins 7 and the casing l. i Y

It will be clearthat b swinging the closure member outwardly rom its closed position, access will be had tothe several compartments f-. In order to provide chutes down Which the postman may dropthe mail matterto be deposited in the` several com,-

a'rt-ments the resent invention contemf P a P plates the provision of chute walls. 10-10 lyingin parallel.relationship with the walls `of saidcompartments Accordingto a lpreferred embodiment of the present inven` tion, each sheet metal member 6 has "achute wall Y 10 mounted adjacent thereto. ,y Each slot 12 having its axis coincident with the axis of theprivets 11i-11. Said arcuate slots 12 areadapted to receive pins 1 3 securely mounted in the adjacent chute walls, whereby to providea lost motion connection. Said pins 13-13 areprovided with heads` 14,

which maintain said pins 13 in 'operative' relationship with the'corresponding partition walls6 or end walls 3 without danger of interfering with mail matter deposited Within the mail box. VThe front port-'ionsv ofthe chute walls 10--10 are secured to a rod `15, which constrains said' chute walls to move asa unit about the axis of the rivets 11.

` The closure member 8 isprovided on its rear side with one or more hook members 16 adapted tohookover the rod 15. Swinging movementl outwardly of the closure mem ber 8 will, by reason'of, the engagement between the hook membersland Vrodv 15,

Wardly, the outward `swingingmovement of v said closure `me`mber"8` and Vthecliute walls( 10`1O being limitedby .the material Idelining the arcuate slots 12-12. The weight oit the closure member 8 and the proportions of Y the parts will, of course, be chosen such that afterthe closure member 8 has vbeen-swung outwardly'to a convenient angle the-weight of said members Willtendto hold same in1 open position.' Under these conditions the `A back wall of the casing 1, the front closure' member 8, the chute walls 10-10 andthe stationary Walls 6 or 3 provide flaring compartments, simplifying the job of the postman lin depositing the mail After the post man has deposited his mail, he Will move4 separated from appended claims. 1

the closure member closed i osition with a slightl push. Engagment o the closure member 8 with the adjacent edge portions of the` chute walls 10p-l0 will, ofcourse, moye r said chute walls inwardly of the boxtoward Vthe back wall of the casing 1. e

The numeral 17 indicates a master lock which controls the' opening andthe locking ofthe closure member 8. Said lock 17 may be of thesnap variety, whereby the postman may lock the `closure member Vmerely by pushing saine to closed position, Access to the various` compartments is4 provided through Vthe individual? doors 18-18, which may be swingingly supportedby means-of rods 19. Said doors 18c`18`mayl beof `any preferred construction and will, ot course,

preferably swing `outwardly of the mail box i 1.8 will be controlled by lits individuallock 20, the different locks 20 being responsive to different types of keys, the key to one lock being adapted to open only its own door and ,9o

not anyv ofthe other doors. Y l

The rear wall of the casing '1 may pro vided with openings 21 through which screws may be inserted for securing the mailA box `tothe wall of a building or'other supportingmember.' Itfwill be clear vthat thei 'supporting screws are `protected from ta-mpering under normal, conditions by the closure member Y8.v When said `closure member Each `door for permitting access tothe interior ofthe .corresponding compartment 5.

8 is removed Afrom the casing `1.it is. 'aj

simple matter to manipulate the screws in" the apertures 21 so that the matter of mounting the mail box or dismounting is a veryV simple matter.

Though a preferreduembodiment of the present invention-has been'described in de? tail,it will beunderstoodthat many modi- `ications will occuritothose'skilled'in the art. It intended to coverfallsuch modifications that fall within the scope of the Whatl is claimed is- 'f 1. In a mail box, in combination, a bot` with'relat-ion to said bottom wall, and chute Walls swingingly mounted `in parallelrelationshipwith said first mentioned walls, said chute walls being removabl said closure member and aving limited 'connected to:

iou

tom member, side vvallsl and partition walls 'forming a plurality fof," compartments, a Vfront closureimember, saidclosure member being* swinginglyand removably mounted l Il sliding movement "with relation to saidifirst mentioned walls, said front closure member being providedV with individual doors permitting accessto theseveral compartmen-ts.

2. In a mailbox, in combination, abot.- tom member, walls forming apluralit of compartments, a swingingly: mounted ront closure memberffor saidcompartmen'ts, and

pivotally mounted chute walls mounted to erence to said iirst mentioned Walls, saidV chute Walls being removably connected to said closure member, said closure member being removable from said Walls and bottom member by a simple lifting movement when said closure member is Iin open position.

3. In a mail box, in combination, a bot-y tom member, vertical Walls forming compartments, a front closure member swingingly and removably mountedwith relation to said compartments, chute Walls mounted to have a limited swinging movement in parallel relationship With said first mentioned Walls, said closure member and said ehul'e Walls having hooked relationship With one another, whereby said closure member may be readily assembled With or disassembled from said chute Walls.

4. In a mail box, in combination, a casing open on one side, a face plate secured to said casing at said open side extending around the opening in said casing and having a flange extending into said casing, a front closure member adapted to tit Within said flange, rivets having the double function of securing said casing to said liange and forming pivotal mounting means for said closure member, relatively stationary Walls dividing said casing into Compartments, chute Walls having limitedsWinging movement in parallel relationship With said first mentioned Walls, means connecting said chute Walls together, hook means on the rear of said closure member adapted to hoolr over said connecting means, master lock means for controlling the opening of said closure member, and individual lock controlled doors for controlling access to said compartments.

5. In a mail box, in combination, a casing, Walls dividing said casing into a plurality of compartments, chute Walls mounted to have a limited swinging movement in parallel relat1onsh1p`-with said first mentioned Walls, a readily removable front closure for said compartments hinged about a horizontal axis adjacent tothe-bottom oi said casing, said front closure and said chute Walls having cooperating portions readily separable When said closure is in open position by means of which said closure will communicate movement to said chute Walls and by means of Which said chute Walls will limit movement of said closure member.

6. In a mail box, ,in combination, a casing, said casing having Walls dividing same into a plurality of compartments, pivotally mounted chute Wallshaving limited swinging movement in'parallel relationship with saidy rst mentioned Walls, a swinging elosure for said easing adapted to lit Within said casing, said casing and closure having cooperating pins and pin openings forming a hinge connection between said casing and said closure member, said closure member having hooking relationship With said chute Walls, lock means` controlling the opening of said closure, and lock means for controlling access to the individual compartments.

7. In a mail box, in combination, vertical Walls forming compartments, a front olosure member for said compartments, said front closure member being sWingingly and removably mounted about a substantially horizontal axis, chute Walls having limited swingingrmovement in parallel relationshipv With said first mentioned Walls, means connecting said chute Walls together, said closure member being provided With hook means adapted to have hooking relationship With said connecting means, whereby movement of said closure V member Will be communicated to said chute Walls. y

Signed at Buchanan, Mich., this 14th day of April, 1926. A

JAMES H. WARD, JR; 

